Disconnecting-switch.



E. M. HEWLEIT.

DISCONNECTING SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. 1914.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

M P I.

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Edward M .Hew letb, y K

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To all whom it may concern:

Fe it known that l, FnwAnn M. f it IWLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at ,hchenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certa new and useful lmprovements in Disconnecting-Switches, 0t which the following is aspecification.

lt ly invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to disconnecting or air break switches for use upon high. potential circuits.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved electric switch; and more particularly to rovide a disconnecting switch which is quicc acting, rugged, easy to operate and positive in its action.

The novel features which ll believe to be characteristic of my invention will he defitop elevation of a switch shown in closed position and embodying the novel teatures oi my invention as applied to the protection Referring to Fig. l, mounted upon the support l, which is adapted to be suitably located on a tower or othersupporting structure, are three insulators 2, 3 and t at the usual petticoat type and provided with suports 5 upon which the switch parts are mounted. 'lhese insulators are preterahly mounted substantially in alinement as show in Figs. 2 and 3. insulator 2 is stationary or fined upon the support 1 and has suitably mounted thereon a tired contact 6, consis preferably of an inverted substantially shaped spring blade member, to which a terminal 7 oil a line wire is connected. Ferminal 8 connects the other end ol the line wire to the switch through a bar 9 meted upon insulators 3 and 4t. llpon the vadiacent insulator 3, which is also fined or stationary upon the support 1, is mounted. a

hearing or yoke 10 carrying a pivotpin illupon which is pivotally mounted a movable contact blade 12. This contact blade 12 is arranged to move into and out of engagement with the cotiperating fixed contact 6 to open or close the circuit through the switch. The contact blade 12 terminates at one end in a bifurcated portion, as best shown in Fig. 3, comprising, two contact fingers 13 which are adapted to firmly engage 'the corresponding spring blade portions of fixed contact 6when the switch is closed. An arcing'horn 14- is also mounted,

on stationary insulator 2 adjacent the fixed contact 6 and on the side of the fixed contact toward insulator 3. This arcing horn extends upward between the contact fingers 13 of contact blade 12 when the switchis closed and is so situated that the are formed as the contacts separate, is drawn upward on.

extinguished and the fined contact thereby protected.

the horn l4 and thereby 'lhe actuating mechanism for the contact blade is mounted upon the insulator or actuating member l which is rotatably mounted on the support 1. The insulator 4t is mounted upon a rod 15 to which is securely hastened a collar 16. Extending through the support It is a bearing 17 in which the rod 15 carrying the insulator 4? is adapted to rotate, the collar 16 resting on the top of the hearing lit to maintain the insulator 4: in its proper position, Suitably mounted on the top of rotatable insulator d and movable therewith is a crank arm 18. Fivotally con- .nected to lug 19 on contact blade 12 is a link 20 and pivotally connected to crank arm 18 is another link 21, the links 20 and 21 being connected by a link 22, these three links being arranged to actuate the contact blade l2 in response to rotation of the crank arm 18 by the insulator l.

The rod 15 and the insulator 4 secured thereto are rotated by movement of a handle member 23 secured to the lower end of rod l5 and situated at the base of the supporting structure or at any convenient place where the handle can be easily operated by hand.

in order that one handle member 23 may operate allot the switches on a three phase syss tern, each oi the rods 15 have securely tastened thereto, just below the bearing ii, an arm 24L. 'lhese arms 24; on each switch are connected together by bars as shown in Fig. 3 causing insulators a, corresponding to each switch, to rotate and open each til lib

ice I llllh lltl switch simultaneously by a movement from the common operating handle 23.

By my novel mechanism for moving the contact blade 12 it will be readily seen that a relatively small movement in the rotation of the crank arm 18 will be greatly multiplied and the contact blade moved thereby quickly from closed to open position and vice versa, thereby insuring a quick break and a rapid extinguishment of the arc formed'between the contact blade and the horn 14. The movement of the contact blade 12 is an arcual path, the plane of which is at right angles to the plane of movement of the crank arm 18. The contact blade being actuated by the rotating of insulator 4 moves in a plane which is substantially through the axes of the fixed insulators 2 and 3, or substantially through the axis of rotation of insulator 4.

My invention-may be embodied in other forms than that shown and described and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction shown, but intend by the appended claims to cover all changes and modifications whi'ch are within the scope of my invention and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a disconnecting switch, the combination with a fixed contact carried on a fixed insulator, and a cooperating movable contact blade mounted to move ,in a vertical plane and carried on a second fixed insulator, of an actuating insulator held in rigid alinement with said fixed insulators and mounted to rotate about a fixed axis, and connections between said contact blade and said actuating insulator for moving said contact blade in said vertical plane in response .to the rotation of. said actuating member.

2. In a disconnecting switch, the combination with a fixed contact carried on a fixed insulator, and a cooperating movable contact blade supported by a second fixed insulator, of a rotatable insulator bearing a fixed relation to said fixed insulators, and

means carried by said rotatable insulator formoving said contact blade in an arcual path into and out of engagement with said fixed contact in a plane substantially through'the axis of rotation of said rotatable insulator.

3. A disconnecting switch comprising a fixed insulator carrying a fixed contact, a

second fixed insulator carrying a cooperating movable contact blade, a third insulator rotatable about a fixed axis, said rotatable insulator carrying means operatively related to said contact blade for moving said blade vertically over a large path of movement in response to a small moi'ement of said rotatable insulator.

4. A disconnecting switch comprising a fixed contact, mounted on a fixed insulator, a movable cooperating contact blade pivotally mounted on a second fixed insulator, an insulator rotatable about a fixed axis, and means mounted on said rotatable insulator and operatively related to said contact blade for moving said blade in response to rotation of said rotatable insulator in an arcual path the plane of Which is substantially through the axes of said fixed insulators.

5. In a disconnecting switch, the combination with three insulators mounted substantially in alinement and in a fixed relation to each other, one of thejend insulators being fixed and carrying a fixed contact, the middle insulator being fixed and carrying thereon a movable contact blade cooperating with said fixed contact, the other end insulator being rotatable about a fixed axis and carrying means operatively related to said contact blade for moving said blade in response to movement of said rotatable insulator over an arcual path in a plane substantially through said insulators.

6. In a disconnecting switch, the combination with two fixed insulators and a rotatable insulator, of a fixed contact mounted on one of said fixed insulators, a coiiperating movable contact blade pivotally supported on the other of said fixed insulators, and actuating means for said contact blade mounted on said rotatable insulator and operatively related to said contact blade for moving said rotatable contact blade in response to the rotation of said insulator in. a plane substantially through the aXis of rotation of said insulator,

7. A disconnecting switch comprising two stationary insulators adjacent each other, an insulator rotatable about a fixed axis and adjacent one of said stationary insulators, a fixed contact mounted on one of said stationary insulators, a cooperating movable contact blade pivotally mounted on the other of said stationary insulators, and means mounted on said rotatable insulator and operatively related to said contact blade for moving sald blade in response to the rotation of said rotatable insulator in a plane substantially through the axes of said stationary insulators.

8. In a disconnecting switch, the combination with a support having mounted there-, on three insulators bearing a fixed relation to each other, one of said insulators being fixed and carrying a fixed contact, the next adjacent insulator being fixed and having mounted thereon a cooperating movable contact blade, the other of said insulators being rotatable about a fixed axis, and means responsive to the rotation of said rotatable insulator and operatively related to said contact blade for moving said bladeinto and emma out of engagement with said fixed contact sulator rotatable about a fixed axis, of actuating means for said contact member compris ng a crank arm mounted on said rotatable insulator and movable thereby in an arcual path, and connections between said crank arm and said contact member for moving said contact member in an arcual pathin response to rotation of said crank arm, the plane of movement of said contact member being at right angles to the plane of movement of said crank arm,

10. In combination with a fixed contact mounted on a fixed insulator, a cooperating movable contact member pivotally mounted on a second fixed insulator, and a third insulator rotatable about a fixed axis, of means for actuating said contact member comprising a crank arm mounted on said rotatable insulator, and connections between said crank arm and said contact blade whereby said contact blade moves in an arcual path in response to the rotation of said crank arm by said rotatable insulator.

11. In combination with a fixed contact mounted on a fixed insulator, a cooperating movable contact member pivotally mounted on a second fixed insulator, and a third insulator rotatable about a fixed axis, of actuating; means operated by the rotation of said rotatable insulator for moving said contact member over an arcual path in a plane substantially through the axes of said first and second mentioned insulators.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of December, 191d.

EDWARD ll/I. I-IEWIJE'I'I,

Witnesses:

Gr. A. Itnnnn, HELEN Uri-can, 

